DENTON, Texas, April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- It's all about control, according to the Sally CelebHeads(TM) survey. The 1,019 respondents named styling gel and hair spray as the products they "can't do without."

Harris Interactive conducted the study for Sally Beauty Company for the ninth year, asking Americans what products they use to achieve their hairstyles and what qualities they like best and least about their own hair.

"We commission this study each year to help professional stylists understand their clients and give them better service," noted Sally CEO Michael Renzulli, who announced the results at a breakfast in Los Angeles for the beauty industry media. "We think revealing Americans' attitudes about their hair, their likes and dislikes, gives stylists an edge in working with their clients."

Sixteen percent of those surveyed named styling gel as the most essential product to their hairstyle, while another 16 percent cited hair spray. Women were more dependent on their control products than men, with 51 percent saying they "must have" gel, spray or mousse. Yet the numbers for styling gel were close -- 18 percent for women, 15 percent for men. Only 11 percent of men use either spray or mousse.

Hairspray was the most used product among respondents at 38 percent, while styling gel was only slightly behind at 32 percent and styling mousse coming in at 24 percent.

Despite the fact that 28 percent of those surveyed said they liked the volume of their hair least of any quality, only five percent use a volumizer.

The question of texture split respondents, with 26 percent saying texture was their favorite attribute, while 23 percent said they liked their texture least. Women were more likely to dislike texture -- 29 percent liked it least, while only 17 percent of men made the same claim.

Will "big hair" make a comeback? Perhaps. When it came to volume, 28 percent said it was their least favorite quality while only nine percent said it was their most favorite. Men were most unhappy with volume, 32 percent said it was their least favorite quality.

With all the color choices available today, only 13 percent of women and 19 percent of men cited color as their least favorite quality, while a quarter of both men and women said color was their best asset.

Not surprisingly, length was low on the priority scale of both men and women. A quick haircut or a couple of months of growth can fix a length problem. Yet 11 percent of respondents said it was their least favorite quality, while 15 percent said it was their favorite.

Also easily changed, only eight percent said they least liked their hairstyle, while 15 percent said it was their best quality.

Harris Interactive interviewed 1,019 adults between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8 using Random Digit Dial to reduce serial bias and ensure that both listed and unlisted telephone numbers were included. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent.